Dental Treatments

Vermilion is a private dental referral clinic offering its patients multi-disciplinary care. No other dental clinic in Scotland brings together orthodontics, periodontology, endodontics, restorative dentistry and oral surgery under one roof.

The surgeries are bright, spacious and calm, fully equipped with the latest in dental technology.

Vermilion’s team of experts are committed to providing the highest standards of patient care in a relaxing environment.

Dental implants provide an excellent long term replacement for missing or failing teeth, restoring patient's confidence in their smile and enabling them to enjoy their food once again.

Implants can be used in a range of situations within the mouth. This can be from replacing a single tooth, to replacing many teeth and even securing loose dentures. They can give excellent appearance, stability, security and comfort.

The natural teeth do not have to be affected, thus helping to maintain and often improve the lifespan of the remaining teeth. With more teeth on which to chew, the forces are spread evenly across your mouth causing less stress and wear on your other teeth.

The Vermilion team is committed to offering you the best implant treatment possible. We strive to exceed our patients' expectations and in order to achieve this we keep up to date with our continuing professional development and routinely review and audit our practices.

We have also heavily invested in state-of-the-art equipment such as our Sirona cone beam CT scanner which allows us to fully evaluate the teeth and jaws in 3D, and the 3-Shape intra oral scanner which allows us to take digital impressions.

During every step of your patient journey we will carry out your treatment to the very best of our ability, and because we can vouch for the quality of our work, we are proud to extend a three year guarantee to each and every implant patient.

Click here for an excellent patient guide to dental implant treatments from the Association of Dental Implantology.

Southern Implants

Southern Implants offer our clinicians a wide range of revolutionary and innovative components which allow us to provide our patients with treatments that may not have been possible using other implant systems.

Our surgical and restorative clinicians have visited Southern’s main implant factory and head office in South Africa and have an insider knowledge of their products. They also attend annual Southern conferences and events in Europe and further afield to keep up to date with developments and progress. This is an excellent networking opportunity that ensures our clinicians can share expertise and gain knowledge from an international perspective.

Southern’s local sales representatives visit Vermilion on a very regular basis and often observe implant surgery and meet our patients. This successful collaboration and excellent partnership benefits our patients.

For every implant referral, the patient will require the input of at least two clinicians; two pairs of eyes. Vermilion is committed to providing the patient with a collaborative approach in order to achieve the best results. As such, an implant patient benefits from having their treatment undertaken by an experienced prosthodontist as well as an oral surgeon.

A typical implant procedure is as follows:

1. The prosthodontist will carry out a consultation and conduct a detailed assessment to determine your options and discuss these with you. This plan will be shared with your referring dentist.

Central to arriving at the correct treatment plan is time taken to fully understand what you, the patient, really wants. Our prosthodontists will give you the time and space to communicate the final outcome that you have in mind.

Treatment planning is an art, and it comes with clinical experience which is underpinned by extensive education and training. All of our prosthodontists have spent years training at the highest levels and are vastly experienced practitioners who strive towards excellence every day.

2. Next, the oral surgeon will meet you for a surgical consultation. Many patients have deep-rooted phobia about undertaking this kind of work in their mouths, and that is why our oral surgeons have additional training and extensive experience in conscious sedation.

3. The oral surgeon will undertake the implant placement.

4. We need to wait four months for the implant to fully integrate in the bone, during which time you will see our hygienist to ensure your gums are immaculate before the implant is restored by means of a porcelain crown.

5. The prosthodontist will restore the implant, working closely with their dental technician to create a porcelain crown that looks as close as possible to a natural, healthy tooth.

6. Once your new implant crown is in place you will see the Vermilion hygienist again who will clean your teeth and coach you to continue this immaculate care at home. Studies have shown that mouths with a low plaque score have better implant outcomes over time. We are in this for the long haul, and we have a responsibility to ensure that you are crystal clear on what you should be doing at home to care for the health of your gums around your implants and natural teeth.

7. After treatment, the prosthodontist will follow up with your referring practitioner and offer ongoing support along with annual reviews for three years.

Periodontics is the branch of dentistry primarily concerned with the health of the gums and bone which support the teeth. Gum disease may be superficial gingivitis or more extensive periodontitis. Healthy gums and underlying bone are vital to the retention of teeth; and periodontitis may also be linked with several general health conditions. Treatments include periodontics and dental hygiene.

Symptoms of Periodontal Disease:

In many cases patients will be unaware that they have gum disease, as gingivitis and periodontitis can be pain-free. Some of the symptoms may include:

Occasionally gum disease is so severe that a dental referral must be made to a periodontist, or the patient may be in danger of losing a tooth or multiple teeth. The periodontist works with the patient to restore their mouth to health, and thereafter in most cases the patient is returned to the care of their regular dentist and dental hygienist.

Extensive information about periodontal diseases and periodontic treatments is available at the website of the American Academy of Periodontology: www.perio.org.

Modern-day endodontics involves saving teeth by painlessly and predictably removing infected tissue from inside a tooth. After the infected root canal tissue is removed, the pulp chamber and root canals are cleaned, disinfected, filled and sealed. The aim is to leave the tooth in a stable and functional state so that you can comfortably and confidently use it. This procedure is commonly known as root canal treatment.

Root Canal Re-Treatment

Increasing we see the need to re-treat a tooth that already has had root canal treatment but has not settled.

Working under rubber dam with an operating microscope which magnifies and illuminates the operating field, endodontists are able now to remove posts and old root fillings, find hidden canals and navigate around complex root shapes to treat the entire root canal system and enable healing.

Teeth that just a few years ago would have been deemed unrestorable can now be saved.

There is a growing demand, in particular from adult patients, for straight teeth achieved with minimum fuss. Patients are looking for teeth to be straightened by less visible means.

Dr Tom Nasiopoulos, a registered specialist in orthodontics, offers Vermilion patients affordable private orthodontics. He is a vastly experienced orthodontist with an infectious enthusiasm for his speciality - from start to finish.

Dr Nasiopoulos has a particular interest in using aligners, enabling him to straighten teeth without the traditional unsightly metal brackets and wires.

He treats patients using the latest techniques, in particular digital impressions and plans cases using the intra-oral scanner.

Teeth straightening and repositioning can often be completed within 12 months.

Orthodontic options on offer include:

Alignment Options

There are a number of ways to correct crooked teeth and improve tooth alignment. You can have fixed metal brackets and coloured bands, you can have clear brackets and bands which are less visible or you can choose a clear dental aligner which is even less obvious.

Aligners

Aligners offer a less visible alternative for correcting crooked teeth. Firstly, a rough impression is taken then a second impression is taken with a fine material. This gives a very accurate final impression. A ‘study model’ is made from the impression. A number of other models are made which represent the teeth moving into position. From these a set of positioners are produced each one designed to move the teeth by a tiny amount. The aligners are used in sequence and the teeth are gently moved into position.

Vermilion is a provider of ClearCorrect, clear aligners that straighten teeth invisibly, without metal braces.

Clear Brackets

Instead of the traditional metal brackets and coloured bands clear brackets and bands are available to make the device less visible.

Removable Dental Appliance

Patients who suffer from crossbite often have a classic V shaped arch. A removable appliance is custom made to fit the shape of each patient’s mouth. Slowly, over months, it is expanded using the adjustment in the appliance. Finally, the arch becomes U shaped.

Many patients are referred to Vermilion for minor oral surgery procedures and difficult extractions, such as an impacted wisdom tooth.

The patient benefits from having this treatment done by an experienced oral surgeon in a calm and relaxing environment at a time that suits them.

The Vermilion oral surgeons are very involved with dental implant patients, providing the foundations upon which the prosthodontists can restore the patient's smile.

Guided Tissue Regeneration

Frequently patients present for dental implants where bone at the site of the gap lacks width. Traditionally oral surgeons offered patients procedures such as block bone grafts to build up the bone width prior to implant placement. These procedures were unpopular, painful, costly and they had a high complication rate.

In most cases we are now able to predictably place the implant and augment the bone width at time of surgery using animal derived particulate bone graft materials, usually overlaid with a plasma membrane derived from the patient’s own blood (PRF).

Sinus Graft

Sinuses are large air-filled cavities inside the structure of our skull. When we lose upper molar teeth, over time the bone that used to support the teeth can be lost (resorption). This can lead to the sinus expanding into the tooth root area meaning there is insufficient bone to support an implant.

The oral surgeon can insert animal derived bone material under the sinus lining to encourage bone re-growth. Over a six month healing period the bone will vascularise providing new bone into which an implant can be placed.

This procedure offers hope; a way to place implants in those patients who had been previously advised they did not have enough bone to support a dental implant.

Vermilion offers a transforming treatment where patients with no teeth, or a set of failing teeth, have a fixed set of replacement teeth on implants. This life-changing All-on-4 treatment is achieved within one day.

Vermilion's All-on-4 Journey:

Consultation Phase

The patient will undergo a series of consultations with the prosthodontist and oral surgeon, incorporating state-of-the-art technology including 3D analysis of the teeth and bone with the in-house cone beam CT scanner.

There are two choices of treatment for our patients. You may opt for either a full arch fixed bridge on a minimum of four implants, or a full arch removable bridge on four implants.

While some people would prefer a fixed bridge, there are some situations, for example in a history of aggressive gum disease, where we recommend a removable bridge which is easier for the patient to keep clean plus their dentist can monitor the health of the implants.

Surgical Phase

We recommend that the surgical phase of treatment is carried out under conscious sedation.

Vermilion works in collaboration with Dr Ross Paterson a Consultant in Critical Care at the Western General Hospital, who offers anaesthetist-led conscious sedation for patients, using midazolam, propofol and alfentanil to facilitate All-on-4 implant surgery.

The oral surgeon will remove the failing teeth and immediately place a minimum of four implants while you are sedated. Shortly after surgery, the prosthodontist will fit you with a removable bridge that has been pre-fabricated by the laboratory technician.

Vermilion’s team will fully support you to ensure a comfortable recovery.

Restorative Phase

The construction of the definitive implant bridge will commence after a healing period of four to six months.

The provision of a definitive bridge typically requires six appointments over a three to four month period, and involves detailed implant impressions followed by a trial of the teeth to verify your bite and ensure that the appearance of your new teeth is acceptable to you within the overall context of your face and smile.

The final bridge fixed bridge has a titanium CAD-CAM designed metal substructure upon which the technician will set up the teeth. This is a very strong and hygienic design which employs techniques at the cutting edge of dental technology.

On the day of fit, your provisional bridge is replaced with your final new smile.

Annual hygiene and review appointments are required for a three year period. This will allow the team to monitor the health of your implants and the integrity of the super-structure. During this period you will be covered by Vermilion’s three year guarantee.

We understand that having a dental implant is an investment, and each implant patient will benefit from seeing our dental hygienist to assist with the health and longevity of their dental implants.

The areas our hygienists will cover include:
• Check what oral hygiene measures you take around your mouth in general, on a daily basis, and coach you on how to look after your dental implants.
• Clinical examination in relation to oral hygiene, brushing technique and feasibility of flossing/interdental brushing/waterpik. Our hygienist will coach you how to use these tools.
• Professional plaque control measures: oral hygiene reinforcement, practical coaching; supra and sub-gingival instrumentation using ultrasonic scaler; and use of the Airflow to remove any superficial staining, leaving your teeth looking and feeling very clean.

Tooth Whitening

Philips Zoom professional whitening is a fast, effective and safe way to whiten your teeth. Our dental hygienist will either apply the treatment for you at the clinic, or fit you with customised mouth trays so you will be able to carry out the treatment at home.

Results from professional treatments can be immediate (up to eight shades whiter in 45 minutes), and because our hygienist will do this for you, the process is safe, reliable and hassle free.

Dr Fiona Crawford, a former Consultant of Oral Medicine at the Glasgow Dental Hospital, is a fully-qualified and very approachable cognitive behavioural therapist who offers appointments during a weekly CBT clinic at Vermilion.

This collaborative therapy can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave. CBT is a therapy that focuses on how your thoughts, attitudes and beliefs affect your feelings and your behaviour.

CBT can help you break cycles of unhelpful thinking patterns that may be driving your behaviours and trapping you in distress.

Dr Crawford's extensive background in dentistry, and her experience as a cognitive behavioural therapist, can benefit individuals of any age who may suffer from worry, fear, anxiety, stress and depression, often with life in general or more specifically in association with undertaking complex dental treatments.

The aim of this therapy is to work together to develop new skills and ways of dealing with your problems which will leave you more able to effectively deal with these challenges.